Last week, I shared my top five female anime characters as a special post for International Women’s Day. However, I didn’t think it’d be fair if I didn’t do one for the men in anime that we all love, so here we are. It’s time for my top 5 male anime characters!
Now, if I thought to compile the last list was hard, this one is on another level. Having been a fan of anime for seven years now, it’s safe to say that I’ve seen plenty of boys – good and bad – meaning that there were quite a few contenders for this list! There were a number of different ways I could have interpreted this topic, but I think the ones that I’ve chosen to be in my top five really do cover most bases in terms what I like in my anime boys.
I’ve chosen some boys who seemingly don’t get much credit and some from shows that people don’t really choose to discuss, so feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below!
Please note that the following list contains heavy spoilers for Death Parade.
5) Decim – Death Parade
Now, this might seem like a weird choice but bear with me. Death Parade is certainly full of characters that have strong personalities and Decim is no exception to that. At first, Decim may appear to cold-hearted, strict and a little aloof, but that doesn’t make him a bad person whatsoever. I’ll admit that I usually prefer characters with a little bit more of a cheerful personality (or at least with more ‘oomph’ to them, I guess), but Decim intrigued me right from the start. The sense of mystery surrounding him was great and once we got to know how Nona was treating him and what his feelings towards Chiyuki are, my heart just ripped to shreds. He may seem cold, sure, but this boy has been through so much and I just want to give him a hug. Clavis may be the boy from Death Parade that I find absolutely precious and adorable on the outside, but my gosh is Decim the one that I just want to protect.
4) Kouhei Inuzuka – Amaama to Inazuma
I’ve given Kouhei my praise before in a post written a couple of years ago now on my favorite parents in anime, but I think he should definitely be on this list as well. Like I said in the previously mentioned post, Kouhei works super hard as a single parent who works full time as a maths teacher and his determination to make sure his daughter gets a good upbringing with good food is certainly admirable. Of course, I pray that myself or my future family are never in such a situation, but I would absolutely love it if the father of my children was to be as loving and as dedicated as Kouhei. Definitely husband material right there!
3) Yuu Mizuno – Sanrio Danshi
Oh, boy, where to start with this precious one? Yuu is adorable, there’s no denying it. Similarly to Kouhei, he’s trying his best to be domesticated but in Yuu’s case, this is to support himself and his sister at home due to their parents working a lot. He may act flashy and almost prince-like at school, but behind the scenes, he truly is a hardworking brother and an admirable friend who will defend his peers no matter what. He’s very protective of those who he holds dear and it’s these qualities which I love about Yuu. Hardworking, protective and respectful… Not to mention he loves My Melody! What more could someone possibly want in a person?
2) Kyoya Ootori – Ouran High School Host Club
There is no way this list would be complete without a mention of Kyoya Ootori. Kyoya was definitely my first anime crush. He was the first boy I picked as a ‘husbando’ seven years ago when I watched Ouran for the first time. And, really, he is still up there even now. Rather mysterious and rather sarcastic, I certainly enjoy Kyoya’s sense of humor. However, I also appreciate his determination and how hardworking he is, as well as how well he puts up with the other Hosts and their antics. A lot of people tend to disagree with me here in favor of Tamaki or one of the other Hosts, but, what can I say? I like often-grouchy, calculative dark-haired Hosts.
1) Koushi Sugawara – Haikyuu!
Finally, I’m giving the number one spot to my favorite volleyball player – Koushi Sugawara. Where do we truly start with this one? Sure, he’s a great volleyball player, but he’s so much more than that as well. He’s considered to be the ‘mom’ of Karasuno’s team which is perfect considering his soft nature. He encourages every single member of his team and isn’t afraid to let people shine whilst he takes a step back. He is so selfless and kind-hearted and that’s what won me over. It’s clear within the show that he makes a massive impact on Hinata’s learning experience and it’s this that I truly find admirable.
It was quite difficult to decide how to place the top three, if I’m really honest. However, that’s what I like about making these lists – they’re fluid! For example, I could have quite easily placed Austria from Hetalia in this list as well, especially as a long-time favorite of mine, but I decided against it, for I have spoken lots about Austria and Hetalia already. Opinions, especially mine, change all the time though, so I think it’ll definitely be interesting to revisit this list after a while to see how it’s changed.
But what about you? Who are your favorite anime boys? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time!
– Amelia x
Render of Tamaki and Kyoya used in cover image by dreacg.
I LOVE Decim and Kyōya!! They are some of my favourite characters in anime. 🙂🙂
They’re great!